Endotracheal tube placement lock system

Abstract

An endotracheal tube placement system for securing an endotracheal tube relative to a patient's vocal chords during surgery is disclosed. The system can include a clamp that receives the endotracheal tube and a clamp lock that selectively retains the clamp in a clamped position holding the endotracheal tube in place relative to the clamp. The clamp and clamp lock can be fixed to the mouth area of the patient's face using tape strips. The system may also include positioners sized to be placed between the upper and lower teeth of the patient when the clamp is fixed to a patient's face.

1 . An endotracheal tube placement system, the system comprising
 a clamp adapted to be coupled to a patient's face, the clamp shaped to receive an endotracheal tube in a tube-receiver passageway and configured to move from an unclamped position in which the endotracheal tube is free to slide through the tube-receiver passageway to a clamped position in which the endotracheal tube is engaged by the clamp to resist movement through the tube-receiver passageway;   a clamp lock configured to selectively retain the clamp in the clamped position to hold the endotracheal tube in place relative to the clamp; and   at least one between-the-teeth positioner sized to be placed between upper and lower teeth of a patient when the clamp is coupled to the patient's face, the at least one between-the-teeth positioner coupled to the clamp.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one between-the-teeth positioner includes left and right positioners movably coupled to the clamp. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein each of the at least one between-the-teeth positioner includes a flexible tether coupled to the clamp and a bite member coupled to the flexible tether opposite the clamp, and wherein the bite member is sized to space upper and lower teeth of the patient apart from one another a preselected distance greater than the tube-receiver passageway defined by the clamp. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the clamp includes a generally U-shape member with two legs (i) that are coupled to one another at a closed end of the clamp and (ii) that are free of one another at a free end of the clamp, and
 wherein the at least one positioner includes left and right positioner holders coupled to a corresponding left or right leg of the clamp outside the tube-receiver space between the two legs of the clamp, and   wherein each of the left and right positioner holders is shaped to receive a bite member moving therethrough so that each of the left and right bite members can be guided into place between upper and lower teeth of the patient at a location spaced from the endotracheal tube.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the bite member of each of the at least one between-the-teeth positioner has a generally cylindrical shape and the left and the right positioner holders are each formed to include a round opening sized to correspond to a cross-sectional size of the generally cylindrical shape. 
     
     
         6 . An endotracheal tube placement system, the system comprising
 a clamp adapted to be mounted relative to a patient's mouth, the clamp having a generally U-shape member with a left leg and a right leg (i) that are coupled to one another at a closed end of the clamp and (ii) that are free of one another at a free end of the clamp, the clamp shaped to receive an endotracheal tube in a tube-receiver passageway between the left leg and the right leg, and the clamp configured to move elastically from a normally unclamped position in which the endotracheal tube is free to slide through the tube-receiver passageway to a clamped position in which the endotracheal tube is engaged by the clamp to resist movement through the tube-receiver passageway, and   a clamp lock configured to selectively retain the clamp in the clamped position to hold the endotracheal tube in place relative to the clamp and, in turn, the patient's mouth after the tube has been inserted through the clamp and into a patient's throat so as to reduce movement of the endotracheal tube out of a preselected position relative patient biological features,   wherein the clamp lock is located between the closed end and the free end of the left and the right leg of the clamp and spaced apart from the free end of the two legs of the clamp.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the clamp lock is provided by a sawtooth fastener having at least one catch tooth coupled to one of the left and the right leg of the clamp and a latch tooth coupled to the other of the left and the right leg of the clamp, the latch tooth configured to engage a catch tooth upon movement of the left leg of the clamp toward the right leg of the clamp and thereby hold the clamp in the clamped position. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the clamp lock includes a release lever that extends from one of the at least one catch teeth or the latch tooth generally parallel to one of the left leg or the right leg of the clamp, and wherein the release lever is configured to be pressed by a user to disengage the latch tooth from one of the catch teeth freeing the clamp to return to the normally unclamped position from the clamped position. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the clamp lock is located about mid-way between the closed end and the free end of the left and the right leg of the clamp. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising left and right between-the-teeth positioners sized to be larger than the endotracheal tube for placement between upper and lower teeth of a patient when the endotracheal tube placement system is arranged over the patient's mouth, the left and right positioners movably coupled to the clamp. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein each of the left and the right positioners includes a tether that extends from a corresponding left or right leg of the U-shape member included in the clamp and a bite member coupled to the tether opposite the corresponding left or right leg of the clamp, and wherein the bite member is sized to space upper and lower teeth of the patient apart from one another a preselected distance greater than the size of the tube-receiver passageway. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising left and right positioner holders coupled to a corresponding left or right leg of the clamp outside the tube-receiver passageway between the two legs of the clamp, wherein each of the left and right positioner holders is shaped to receive a bite member moving therethrough so that each of the left and right bite members can be guided into place between upper and lower teeth of the patient at a location spaced from the tube-receiver passageway. 
     
     
         13 . An endotracheal tube placement system, the system comprising
 a clamp adapted to be mounted relative to a patient's mouth, the clamp including a endotracheal tube grip that defines a tube-receiver passageway sized to receive an endotracheal tube and a clamp mount that extends upwardly and downwardly from the endotracheal tube grip to provide structure suitable for fixation to a patient above and below the patient's mouth, wherein the clamp is configured to move elastically from a normally unclamped position in which the endotracheal tube is free to slide through the tube-receiver passageway to a clamped position in which the tube-receiver passageway is sized to engage of the endotracheal tube resisting movement through the tube-receiver passageway,   a clamp lock configured to retain the clamp in a the clamped position, and   tape strips adhered to the clamp mount of the clamp at locations spaced above and below the tube-receiver passageway, wherein the tape strips are adapted to be further adhered to the patients above and below the patient's mouth to fix the clamp to the patient while remaining spaced apart from an endotracheal tube that may be arranged in the tube-receiver passageway.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the clamp mount is provided by an elastic member having left and right legs arranged along left and right sides of the endotracheal tube grip, and
 wherein the clamp lock is provided by a sawtooth fastener having a series of catch teeth coupled to one of the left and the right leg and a latch tooth coupled to the other of the left and the right leg.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the clamp lock includes a release lever that extends from one of the catch teeth or the latch tooth generally parallel to one of the left leg or the right leg of the clamp. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the elastic member of the clamp mount has a U-shape with a closed end and a free end, and wherein the clamp lock is located about mid-way between the closed end and the free end. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising left and right between-the-teeth positioners sized to be placed between upper and lower teeth of a patient when the endotracheal tube placement system is arranged over the patient's mouth, the left and right between-the-teeth positioners movably coupled to the clamp. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein each of the left and the right between-the-teeth positioners includes a tether that extends from the clamp and a bite member coupled to the tether opposite the clamp, and wherein the bite member is sized to space upper and lower teeth of the patient apart from one another a preselected distance. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , further comprising left and right positioner holders coupled to the clamp, wherein each of the left and right positioner holders is shaped to receive a bite member moving therethrough so that each of the left and right bite members can be guided into place between upper and lower teeth of the patient at preselected location relative to the tube-receiver passageway. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the bite member of each of the left and right positions has a generally cylindrical shape and the left and the right positioner holders are each formed to include a round opening sized to correspond to a cross-sectional size of the generally cylindrical shape.